Louis Jean Chretien Antoine d'Harcourt
Louis Jean Chretien Antoine (1697 - Present) was a Grandelumerian noble and is the Comte d'Harcourt. As well as being head of House Harcourt, he served as the Director-General of buildings for Grandelumiére. After the Harcourt scandal in 1736, Louis was stripped of his position and lived the remainder of his life in undignified exile. Early Life - Baron d'Olonde Birth Louis' birth took place on the 22nd of December, 1697. He born to Alphonse Phelypeaux and Louise Sophie, the Comte and Comtesse de Sézanne, at the Chateau de Sitges. The birth was a small affair, but a highly anticipated one for House d'Harcourt. Those present were Alphonse's brother, a few close friends of the family and the Head of House d'Harcourt, Jean Etienne Baptiste. The Comte and Comtesse de Sézanne were delighted with the birth of a son, as was Baptiste, as his long string of successors had just grown larger. Early childhood Louis' christening was yet again an anticipated one, many being present. There was much dispute over Louis' name though, but Louis Jean Chretien Antoine was agreed upon. Louis Jean was the father of Jean Etienne Baptiste, and Chretien Antoine was the name of his brother, who died during his infancy. At the christening, Louis also was made Seigneur d'Elbeuf, much to the pleasure of his parents. The christening was then followed with a ball at the Chateau de Sitges, the main residence of House d'Harcourt. The celebrations were not grand; This was because the young Louis was never expected to rise to power or a title that would grant him true influence or prestige, much less head of House d'Harcourt. Louis was well-treated during his early years and would be for the rest of his life. He was cared for by a Governess, the ageing Gabrielle Anne, the Dame de Puisieulx. The bond between Louis and his parents flourished while Louis was still in his youth, which caused him to be very close with his parents, indeed a rarity for his generation. As a child, Louis was kind, shy, and discreet but at the same time lively, energetic, characteristic and submissively pious. In 1703, when Louis was six years old, a new baby brother, Charles, was born, much again to the delight of his parents and much to Louis, who longed for company. But Louis would rarely see his newborn brother after his birth. The reason for this was that prior to Charles' birth, Alphonse and Louise would move to the court at Argenteuil. Upon arriving at Argenteuil, they would be provided rooms. Louis was soon rushed away for his formal education. Louis would not see much of his parents whilst at court, nor his brother. Education Louis was taught with three other children of at court, and Louis soon became friends with them. Louis was then transferred to be taught privately by the long-time family tutor, the Bishop de Melicourt. He taught Louis Latin, Italian, and English. Louis did not take well to Latin or English but excelled in Italian. He also excelled in literacy, literature, and history, especially the history of Grandelumiére. Louis was captivated by the Emperors and their wars, their prestige and their demises. Louis developed a love for his Empire and his heritage whilst still in his youth, and this remained with him all throughout life. Louis despised mathematics and found it impractical for a person of his status. Louis was also extremely interested in architecture and theology. His brother, Charles, was always with the Governess, and his parents were attending the court ceremonies. One day, Louis' accompanied his father to attend the Grand Levee ''of the minor Queen-Empress Marie IV Sophie. Louis was dazzled by the sparkling decors and events that took place. He would never forget this experience and wrote later it was "''The happiest day of my life." It was during this time, Louis also gained a great love for the Church and the Catholic religion which lead to Louis being a very pious person in later life. He attended the daily masses with great pleasure and sat quietly and maturely. Louis was greatly influenced by the Church, and even considered becoming part of the Clergy, but it was not to be. Soon after the bulk of his education was completed, he was sent back home to la chateau de Sitges to complete his education with the Bishop and other teachers. Adolesence - Baron de Sézanne Baron de Sézanne When Louis turned 12, in 1709, his father would become head of house. This was following his grandfather's death in his sleep a few months prior. Succeeding the death of his grandfather, however, his uncle was made the Comte d'Harcourt. His uncle, Edouard, however, would die shortly thereafter during an accident while horse riding. This thrust the entire house into mourning, and made Alphonse, very unexpectedly, the Comte d'Harcourt. Upon learning of his uncle's death, Louis returned to the opulent seat of Imperial power, the Chateau d'Argenteuil. There he completed his education under the supervision of his father, the new Comte d'Harcourt, who made him Baron de Sézanne upon completing his education. It was during this time he took to reading the publications of the grand Cardinal de Mortemart, who quickly became his favourite author. Return to Court Life for Louis at court was to be much different to that of when he was a child. He had more access to things and had more responsibility for his actions, both of which he handled with great maturity. His father, Alphonse was wealthy but not equal to that of the more prestigious houses. This would allow him a reasonably comfortable lifestyle at court, one which kept him present. Alphonse's health slowly declined, however, but the death blow was administered in the winter of 1716. His father died following a heart attack. In his grief, Louis met the dashing young Mortemarette, Marie Louise Henriette de Rochechouart de Mortemart. Adulthood - Comte d'Harcourt Immediately succeeding Alphonse's death, Louis went into a state of mourning. After becoming le Comte d'Harcourt, Louis quickly realised that he required an heir for House d'Harcourt, and set about court, seeking a potential spouse. After six months of unsuccessfully searching, Louis remembered the dashing Mortemarette, Marie Louise Henriette, and sought her out. When she arrived at court, Louis was there to greet her, and the two quickly became close. Louis, who could see that she still loved him, proposed to her that very same day. Marie graciously accepted. Marriage and offspring The marriage was a small affair, with only a few present. Nevertheless, it was a most momentous day, and a very highly anticipated one for the Harcourt family. After the service, a small reception was held in the rooms of Louis. Although it was small, the Duc d'Orleans was present and gifted each the wife and husband a substantial amount of money, and a few, small gifts. In 1723, after three years of marriage, their first son was born. Phillipe Germaine d'Harcourt was healthy, and well loved by both his parents. As was the protocol of the court, the boy was sent off in the care of a governess and fed by the wet-nurse. When Phillipe turned 5 in 1728, the Harcourt family were blessed with a daughter. Gabrielle Hippolyte was a fat and healthy child, much like her brother. It was during this time that Louis established multiple wineries in the Harcourt territories, and the area soon became redound for their high-quality wines and champagnes. Louis was also able to bring control to the ambitious and irksome provincial noble families, who were gaining influence over Harcourt serfs, much to the dismay of Louis. Appointment as Director-General of Buildings In the summer of 1720, Louis was appointed Director General of Buildings. This greatly pleased Louis, and he set immediately to work. Louis was best known for conducting a number of notable renovations at the slightly neglected Palais de Louvre, in Paris. He modernized unfashionable interiors and extended parts of the palace to make provisions for the growing Imperial Family, and the court. In 1732, Marie had a stillborn child, much to the grief of his parents. Louis, wishing to put his mind off his unfortunate child, immersed himself in his work. Louis recently executed a band of house-robbers, whose base of operations were at the abandoned and disused Chateau de Vironvay. The chateau was old and peeling, but Louis bought the property and renovated the old chateau. Louis, in an unexpected move, moved the family to the newly renovated Vironvay and left the traditional seat, and his childhood home, Sitges. The Harcourt scandal In 1736, after being the Director-General of Buildings for 16 years, Louis was stripped of his office and exiled to his family home of Vironvay. Louis was found stealing furniture from private residences and embezzling private funds from provincial families. Louis bought a deep shame to the noble name of Harcourt and tarnished it. An official inquiry was held, and even though Louis pleaded innocent, overwhelming evidence disproved his claim. Louis would have been imprisoned or even execcuted had it not been for the kind and gentle disposition of the Empress. She ordered him to return what was stolen, and to issue a formal apology to Her, the court, and to Grandeluméire. After doing so, Louis was stripped of his occupation, his rooms at Argenteuil, and was exiled to his home of Vironvay. On the 20th of December, 1736, Louis was ushered out to his carriage. He took one last glimpse at Argenteuil, and turned his back to everything he had known and loved, forever. Issues With his spouse, Marie Louise Henriette, he had three children; * Phillipe Germaine (1723 - Present) * Gabrielle Hippolyte (1728 - Present) * Stillborn (1732) Honours, Titles and Styles Titles and Styles * '''22nd of December, 1697 - 2nd of January, 1709 '''His Lordship, Baron d'Olodne * '''2nd of January, 1709 - 14th of January, 1716 '''His Lordship, Baron de Sézanne * '''14th of January, 1716 - 15th of August, 1736 '''His Lordship, Comte d'Harcourt Category:17th Century Births Category:Grandelumierian Nobility Category:Ministers of State